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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 20
Location: Rauenberg, Germany | I think many of us would appreciate pointers from the rest of the community on care and cleaning of Ovation and other guitars. What do you recommend for cleaning, polishing, and fret cleaning? Have you found specific products that work best for you? How often should cleaning/care be performed?
And how about guitar humidifiers? I know it has a lot to do with the given climate, but I do not completely understand applicability.
Chime in and let us know what you have learned. | |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4073
Location: Utah | Rokit, let me be the first to say that there are a number of threads on this topic that you can find using the search function.
My preference is a bit different than many here. I use a Carnuba based spray wax for the shiny surfaces - the top, and the back of the neck plus the headstock. For the fingerboard I use Alvarez brand Fingerboard Conditioner. I have no idea what is in it, but it cleans and then it seals the fingerboard. Some kind of wax most likely. | |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Strap it to the roof rack and drive thru the car wash. They're way tougher than you think they are.
Barring that, I like the Planet Waves Restore/Polish/Protect series. | |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Schroeder's got it. Hose it down followed by a bit of Turtle Wax.
I also use the same thing I use on my GoldWing. Lemon Pledge. | |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Humidors are a good idea if you leave in an area where the average humidity is less than 40%...ie., here in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico.
Guitars should be kept (in a perfect world) around 45-50% humidity and an average temp of 70-75 degrees.
If you leave in extremely humid areas (Houston, New Orleans, etc...) the reverse is true and you might have to do something to reduce the excess humidity. | |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 55
Location: Pennsylvania | For cleaning and polishing my guitar, i use this...
Cleaning Kit
It has a cleaner, polish, and mist & wipe. You should allways use the cleaner before you use the wax, because it removes the old wax, and you don't want to get a wax buildup on the top. It will effect the sound of your guitar, so allways clean the old wax off first. You should only have to clean and wax maybe 2 to 3 times a year. You can use the mist and wipe for a quick wipe down after playing, especially the parts of the gloss finish that your skin contacts.
Do not use these products on the fret board or bridge. Only on the gloss surfaces. I called Ovation, and they said you could polish the back as well, but that is up to you, and you should call them to verify this.
For the fret board, and bridge i use: 0000 steel wool to gently clean them. Be very carefull not to touch the polished surfaces with the steel wool, and blow the residue off before wiping any of the polished surfaces down, as fine bits of steel wool could settle on your guitar while you are cleaning it. Then... lightly dust it with a soft cloth before wiping it down.
As far as humidity goes... It is very important to keep your guitar humidified. Ovations are probably a little more forgiving, but the top and neck are still wood, and that is the area that is effected the most by humidity.
If your guitar dries out, your top will start to sink in and eventually crack. Your fret board will start to shrink, and you will start to feel the sharp edges of your frets sticking out. Your neck could also start to bow. You can humidify your guitar, and that will most likely bring it back to normal, but if it gets too dry or stays dry for long enough, it can be perminently damaged.
If your guitar has too much humidity, your top will start to bulge out. Keep in mind that your guitar should bulge out slightly, because they are made that way, but if it is too wet it could bulge out to the point where it can start to split at the seams (glue joints). The fret board can start to swell, and come loose from the neck.
These are extreme examples, but they do happen. Many people notice their action has changed, or their frets are sticking out, or they start hearing a buzz, and... The first thing they do is start tweeking the neck or get their frets filed, or spend money to get their guitar set up. These are all signes of humidity problems, and if they would have checked that first, and humidified their guitar(s), it probably would have gone back to normal by itself, and now they have to go get it set up again after it is humidified, and once you get the frets filed, you can't un-file them.
If your guitar has a good set up, and stays humidified, it should almost never need another set up (unless you want to make changes for a particular playing style, or your frets wear down, or something like that), and if your set up changes (for no reason), it is most likely a humidity problem.
Keep a hygrometer in your case, and keep the humidity around 45 - 55 percent. If it gets too dry, use dampets in the case. If you do not keep your guitar in the case (which you should), get a room humidifier (if needed), and keep the whole room humidified.
Keep in mind that it takes a while for a guitar to start showing signs of humidity problems, so it's not like you have to watch it like a hawk every second, or not be able to play your guitar out of the controled environment for a while.
Hope this helps... :) | |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Dunlop65. | |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | What do you recommend for cleaning:
Clean when dirty of course!
When dirty, clean the body with what cliff uses.
For the fret board and frets --- wd-40, followed by naptha, followed by an annual treatment of mineral oil, or as needed.
Back of the neck, clean with dunlop 65, and if needed polish with butcher's wax.
And ... humidifiers? First get a hygrometer so you can tell what your humidity is, then, for an "incase" humidifier just try a bunch till you find one you like. For a room in the winter you can use a Honeywell warm air job. | |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4832
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Well, normally I only clean my guitars just before gatherings of fellow Ovationists. I use whatever I find under the kitchen sink, and some mineral oil I found in the pantry...I think that's one of the reasons I bought it in the first place.
Living on a semi-tropical island, lack of humidity is not a problem. I live here, so my guitars gotta learn to like it as it is.
My only concession to climate is to make sure they're hung on the wall strings in on the exterior walls. | |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | I only clean them after others in the OFC have had a chance at them :p | |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by Tony Calman:
I only clean them after others in the OFC have had a chance at them :p Then you must go through a lot of cleaner :D | |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | D65 by the case... | |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | You guys clean your guitars? | |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 659
Location: Hiram, Georgia | Got to try powerchord: www.powerchord-usa.com | |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I also use the Planet Waves kit, but mine didn't have anything for the fretboard. I use steel wool and mineral oil when I change strings, which is not very often. | |
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Guitar Cleaning and Maintenance